Kamal arrives in Rameswaram to rousing welcome

Rameswaram: Veteran actor Kamal Haasan, who is set to launch his political party today, was given a rousing welcome by his supporters when he arrived here yesterday.

Kamal is scheduled to set out on a yatra from this island and launch the political party in Madurai, about 170 km from here. His supporters raised slogans 'Hail Varungala Muthalvare', 'Hail Kamal Haasan' as he arrived here in his native Ramanathapuram district in southern Tamilnadu.

The 62-year-old popular actor greeted the gathering outside the hotel where he was staying and said he would speak about everything on his political journey today. He is expected to address the fishermen after vising former president A P J Abdul Kalam's house here and getting blessings from the late leader's elder brother in the morning.

Kamal would also visit the memorial of Kalam here, his fan association sources said. Later, he would leave for Madurai and address public meetings in Ramanathapuram, Manamadurai and Paramakudi, his hometown. While announcing his political tour last month, the actor had said he too shared the vision of Kalam who dreamt of a "good Tamilnadu".

By launching his tour from the residence of Kalam, he would be moving forward towards that goal, he had said.

In a tweet yesterday, Kamal welcomed people to attend his party launch to "create a new era." "I am going to explain (about my) new party and the gyst of our policies.. Please come, to create a new era," he said.

"Our long journey is starting tomorrow. I am going to hoist our party flag at 6 PM at Othakadai grounds in Madurai," he added. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will attend Kamal's party launch, the actor's camp said. "Kejriwal will attend the evening public meeting in Madurai tomorrow," sources close to the actor said.

The AAP supremo was also likely to address the meeting, they added. Kejriwal had called on Kamal in Chennai in September 2017, when the award-winning actor had started dropping hints of taking the political plunge.

The Delhi Chief Minister had then said it was "important at this point when the country is facing strong forces of corruption and communalism, all like-minded people should talk to each other on these issues and work in tandem."

Besides Kejriwal, Kamal has also met the Chief Ministers of Kerala and West Bengal, Pinarayi Vijayan and Mamata Banerjee, respectively, DMK president M Karunanidhi and Superstar Rajinikanth ahead of his political foray.